Year: 2016

Hailstorms are wreaking havoc as noted in Brandee Bower’s post yesterday, Greetings From Hail Alley. After contacting their insurance companies, some policyholders unfortunately find their insurance companies deny the claims based on exclusions in the insurance contract involving wear and tear as well as inadequate maintenance.

To be fair, roofs get older and there is always wear and tear on older roofs. Rarely are close up pictures taken of roofs taken just before a hailstorm occurs. Accordingly, changes in the condition of some roofs caused by the winds and hail in a hailstorm versus pre-existing wear and tear become an issue.
My impression is that many insurers are increasingly claiming exclusions caused by wear and tear as well as inadequate maintenance. Indeed, insurance company engineering firms are increasingly advertising their services for these issues. There is nothing unethical about this, but the trend is landing many hailstorm losses into denials and subsequent litigation.

An excellent case regarding these issues is Monterra Apartments Ltd. Liability Partnership v. Sequoia Insurance Company.1 Sequoia denied that the hailstorm damaged the roof and claimed that the damage was wear and tear or inadequate maintenance. Regarding these issues, this is what the court found:
The policy clearly and unambiguously excludes coverage where wear and tear is the sole cause of damage. The last sentence quoted above clearly states, however, that the exclusion of coverage in Section I.B.2.1 does not apply—in other words, the policy provides coverage—where an “excluded cause of loss” results in a “specified cause of loss.” The phrase “specified cause of loss” is defined in Section I.H.11 to include “hail.” Therefore, replacing “excluded cause of loss” with “wear and tear,” and “specified cause of loss” with “loss from hail,” the clause reads: “if [wear and tear] results in [loss from hail], we will pay for the loss or damage caused by that [hail].” Thus, when wear and tear contribute to damage by a hailstorm, the policy provides coverage for the hail damage. Further, the policy covers any ensuing damage from the hail, such as water penetrating the roof as a result of the hail.

…The “Covered Cause of Loss” can be stated as “hail” or “loss from hail” because hail presents a “risk of physical loss” and is not excluded by the policy….Using these substitutes, the key provision reads: “if [inadequate maintenance] results in [loss from hail], we will pay for the loss or damage caused by [the hail]. This produces the same result as the wear and tear exclusion discussed above. Thus, when inadequate maintenance permits hail damage to occur, the policy provides coverage for the hail damage.
The parties dispute whether hail or inadequate maintenance damaged the roof or resulted in moisture penetrating the roof. This factual issue is for the jury.
The bottom line is that the insurance company better be prepared to show that all the damage was caused by pre-existing wear and tear or that all the damage resulted from inadequate maintenance. Sometimes that is the case. But in many cases, older roofs having wear and tear are also torn up by the winds and hail stones which are occurring much more often today.

Public adjusters help homeowners negotiate settlements with insurers for repairs like a new roof after a hailstorm. Joyce MarshallStar-Telegram

Not happy with what’s being offered on your home insurance claim?

You might want to consider hiring a public insurance adjuster to fight for you.

A largely unknown group, public insurance adjusters are licensed and bonded and represent the property owner — either business or home — with damage claims.

“Once hired, we take over the claim for them,” said Loy Vickers, owner of Empire Public Adjusters in McKinney and a board member of the Texas Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (TAPIA.) “A public adjuster is the only one who can negotiate an insurance claim besides an attorney.”

For their work, public insurance adjusters typically don’t charge upfront but take a percentage of the claim settlement, Vickers said. The adjusters are regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), which limits fees to 10 percent of any claim paid.

THE LAYMAN DOESN’T REALIZE THE LEGAL MUMBO JUMBO IN THESE POLICIES. I WASN’T EVEN AWARE MY DEDUCTIBLE HAD GROWN TO $8,500.Robert Richardson, McKinney homeowner

Kathy Reiter, who owns a home in south Arlington, said the fee was “well worth it.”

The single mother tried to get a new roof three times after storms dating back to the devastating tornadoes in 2012 that damaged hundreds of homes in her area. Instead, her insurer would only give her small reimbursements for outside damage each time.

“Every roof in my neighborhood was replaced, but I couldn’t get my insurer to replace mine,” she said. “Then they jacked up the rates because I filed claims. At the same time, no one else would insure me because I didn’t have a new roof. It’s been a nightmare.”

She heard about public insurance adjusters and decided to give one a try, calling Jason Fulgham, co-owner of Valor Claims Consulting in Fort Worth.

“Jason came out and told me I absolutely should have a new roof,” she said. “We opened up the third claim again. At first the insurance company wouldn’t respond, but he was very diligent.”

Finally, an adjuster from her insurer came out again and inspected the roof, finding that a replacement was necessary. Within a few months of hiring Valor, she had a new roof.

“If I’d have known about this service, I would have used it years before,” she said.

Robert Richardson, a McKinney homeowner, had a similar fight after an April 2014 hailstorm damaged his concrete tile roof. He was unaware of the extent of the damage until a year later, when spring rains started leaking down his walls.

Richardson said the insurance adjuster recommended a new roof, but the main insurance office didn’t agree.

“They said the roof looks pretty old and started giving excuses for not paying the claim,” he said. “I told them I’d been a customer since 1980 and was willing to go to court.”

Then he heard about public insurance adjustors. He called Vickers’ firm and they set to work.

“He reviewed my policy, sent out an engineer, took photos of the roof and interior and put a report together,” he said. “It was a lengthy process to get to come to terms with the insurer—8 or 9 months—so you have to be patient.”

Finally, Richardson’s insurer settled on a $134,000 claim to replace the roof and interior damage. Vickers received 10 percent of the settlement.

“That was a whole lot cheaper than getting a lawyer and going to court,” Richardson said. “And you can’t do it yourself. The layman doesn’t realize the legal mumbo jumbo in these policies. I wasn’t even aware my deductible had grown to $8,500.”

Vickers said most people are not aware of what is in their insurance policies, and that most have narrowed coverage and timelines for making claims. In addition, some insurers are removing the process in policies that public insurance adjusters use to resettle claims.

“The adjuster process is a low-cost way of settling insurance claims,” he said. “You should shop your policy every year and make sure that is in it.”

Robert Hunter, a former Texas Insurance Commissioner and now director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America, said homeowners should take careful notes during the claims process and try to work within the insurer’s consumer affairs department on any disagreement.

After that, Hunter recommends complaining to the TDI. If nothing comes of that, consider a public adjuster or attorney.

“If it’s a large claim, I would consider an attorney first,” he said.

Finding a public adjuster — particularly after a big weather event that causes widespread damage — may take time. Vickers said there were only around 25-30 public insurance adjusters in DFW, and not all will do residential claims.

“Our industry is growing,” he said. “Part of the problem is we don’t get paid until we close a claim, so it’s hard to start up. And the bigger the claim, the longer it takes to close.”

Fulgham, with Valor Claims, said the market is ready for more public adjusters.

“Insurance adjusters are not as thorough as they should be, and when a big storm comes through they have limited time to do their job,” he said. “We hold their feet to the fire and ask that the insurer pays what they owe — nothing more and nothing less.”

WYLIE, TX. – The battered roof of a Wylie house got reinforcing patches Monday. Homeowner Janie Abraham looked on, hoping this will be the end of a month long rough patch, “This has been epic”. Abraham has been through one damaging hailstorm followed by an even more destructive one, “I have never seen back to back storms like there were here”.

Then, over the weekend, it was all compounded by torrential rains that came down–and came in—through Abraham’s compromised roof, where the first temporary patch job didn’t hold, “It was coming down in a hole in the fireplace. This is the second time we have emptied this bowl here.”

Many of her neighbors are in that same boat—taking on water. As we toured the home of Florencio Contreras, he pointed out a water stain across the ceiling of a bedroom, “I have to go up and look at this because this is something that happened last night”. The water is seeping in through his hail-pockmarked roof.

A few streets down, Russell Smith’s soggy insulation is being sucked out of the attic by a remediation company, “Next two days at least I know it is forecast to rain”. He nervously waits to see whether his roof patchwork will be up to the task, “Yes sir, hoping the best and praying that it will”.

Insurance adjusters have already swept through this hard hit neighborhood, but they advise residents to report any new damage as new rounds of weather roll in. “Always good to notify your insurance carrier and say this is what I am seeing today”, says Robert Smeltzer of Allstate Insurance.

Janie Abraham did just that, but got hit with the deductible double whammy. Damage from separate storms meant she had to pay her share twice. She says has given–and taken–about all she can, “I finally lost it this weekend. That is the first I have broken down. I can’t take one more ounce of stress. They would have to just put me in a rubber room and bounce around for a few days and just get out of it”

ALICE, Texas – Justin Dunavant and his wife aren’t sure what they miss the most, their dog or their garden.

They haven’t been able to be around either since moving out of their home in March.

The couple and their three children have been living in a nearby Holiday Inn for two months while they wait on a claims dispute to be resolved with their insurance carrier.

The United States Army veteran has filed a lawsuit against his insurance company because they are approving a claim amount that sits about $100,000 shy of what a public adjuster said would be needed to repair damages caused in January.

On what would have been a typical Thursday morning, an SUV ran three stop signs and careened into the corner of the home.

The damage is significant, with the entire laundry room turned to rubble and cracks present in the home’s ceiling throughout.

When the Dunavants’ insurance company rejected several repair estimates from the company’s own approved vendor, Dunavant said he hired a public adjuster.

In March, that adjuster pointed out that there may be a problem with the dust in the home. He determined the cracks in the ceiling were releasing asbestos and a family doctor ordered Justin and his family to vacate the home immediately.

The public adjuster also requested that the company send out a licensed adjuster, not a contractor, to look at the damages. They eventually did. However, the company that adjuster was working for was not licensed with the Texas Department of Insurance.

“What we’re finding is although most of the adjusters are licensed individually, a lot of the companies are not licensed at all,” said Shannon Loyd, the attorney representing Dunavant.

Loyd is also part of a non-profit group called Texas Policy Holder Advocates, whose mission is to help consumers fight their insurance company without having to hire an attorney.

Last week’s storm and its baseball-size hail that shuttered some local businesses and pummeled cars throughout the region has produced $1.36 billion in estimated insured losses so far, making it the costliest hailstorm by dollars in Texas history, according to the Insurance Council of Texas.
San Antonio-based insurance giant USAA processed 16,500 property and 28,000 auto claims from the storm as of midday Wednesday. Losses among all insurers to automobiles in San Antonio are expected to reach $560 million, while damage to homes is expected to approach $800 million, the insurance trade group said. More than 110,000 vehicles were damaged, and thousands of homes suffered roof damage.

The violent storm rained jagged ice chunks that were as large as 4½ inches in diameter for up to 10 minutes in some areas. The state’s most expensive hailstorm was previously claimed by Fort Worth for a 1995 storm that produced an estimated $1.1 billion in damage.

Forth Worth still holds that title if adjusting for inflation. Damage from that storm would have cost $1.6 billion in today’s dollars, the Insurance Council of Texas reported Wednesday.

The most expensive weather event in Texas history was Hurricane Ike in 2008, which produced $13.04 billion in damage.

The hailstorm left a trail of damage across the northern San Antonio, mainly along a path between suburbs Helotes and Kirby. Cars were totaled across the region, including hundreds of luxury vehicles at BMW of San Antonio. The storm sent hail chunks and rain through roofs and skylights in homes, at North Star Mall and at least one H-E-B supermarket.

Last week’s storm and its baseball-size hail that shuttered some local businesses and pummeled cars throughout the region has produced $1.36 billion in estimated insured losses so far, making it the costliest hailstorm by dollars in Texas history, according to the Insurance Council of Texas.
San Antonio-based insurance giant USAA processed 16,500 property and 28,000 auto claims from the storm as of midday Wednesday. Losses among all insurers to automobiles in San Antonio are expected to reach $560 million, while damage to homes is expected to approach $800 million, the insurance trade group said. More than 110,000 vehicles were damaged, and thousands of homes suffered roof damage.

The violent storm rained jagged ice chunks that were as large as 4½ inches in diameter for up to 10 minutes in some areas. The state’s most expensive hailstorm was previously claimed by Fort Worth for a 1995 storm that produced an estimated $1.1 billion in damage.

Forth Worth still holds that title if adjusting for inflation. Damage from that storm would have cost $1.6 billion in today’s dollars, the Insurance Council of Texas reported Wednesday.

The most expensive weather event in Texas history was Hurricane Ike in 2008, which produced $13.04 billion in damage.

The hailstorm left a trail of damage across the northern San Antonio, mainly along a path between suburbs Helotes and Kirby. Cars were totaled across the region, including hundreds of luxury vehicles at BMW of San Antonio. The storm sent hail chunks and rain through roofs and skylights in homes, at North Star Mall and at least one H-E-B supermarket.
“There is some vehicle damage we have not seen before,” said Roberto DeLeon, Allstate Texas corporate relations manager. “There are window holes that we normally do not see. The amount and severity of the dents, we haven’t seen in very many cases. Houses have blown windows and other significant damage.”

Allstate Texas has established a Mobile Assessment Center to process auto claims for customers. Adjustors are being sent out to inspect cars that aren’t drivable, said Roberto DeLeon, Allstate Texas corporate relations manager.

USAA spokesman Rich Johnson said the company doesn’t know how long claims will continue to roll in from customers. “There’s been a drop off the last couple of days. We have field locations where people are driving in, and we are getting adjustors out to people,” he said.

The insurer, which caters to the military and their families, will be using drones to inspect San Antonio homes for hail damage Friday.

Last week’s storm and its baseball-size hail that shuttered some local businesses and pummeled cars throughout the region has produced $1.36 billion in estimated insured losses so far, making it the costliest hailstorm by dollars in Texas history, according to the Insurance Council of Texas.
San Antonio-based insurance giant USAA processed 16,500 property and 28,000 auto claims from the storm as of midday Wednesday. Losses among all insurers to automobiles in San Antonio are expected to reach $560 million, while damage to homes is expected to approach $800 million, the insurance trade group said. More than 110,000 vehicles were damaged, and thousands of homes suffered roof damage.

The violent storm rained jagged ice chunks that were as large as 4½ inches in diameter for up to 10 minutes in some areas. The state’s most expensive hailstorm was previously claimed by Fort Worth for a 1995 storm that produced an estimated $1.1 billion in damage.

Forth Worth still holds that title if adjusting for inflation. Damage from that storm would have cost $1.6 billion in today’s dollars, the Insurance Council of Texas reported Wednesday.

The most expensive weather event in Texas history was Hurricane Ike in 2008, which produced $13.04 billion in damage.

The hailstorm left a trail of damage across the northern San Antonio, mainly along a path between suburbs Helotes and Kirby. Cars were totaled across the region, including hundreds of luxury vehicles at BMW of San Antonio. The storm sent hail chunks and rain through roofs and skylights in homes, at North Star Mall and at least one H-E-B supermarket.
“There is some vehicle damage we have not seen before,” said Roberto DeLeon, Allstate Texas corporate relations manager. “There are window holes that we normally do not see. The amount and severity of the dents, we haven’t seen in very many cases. Houses have blown windows and other significant damage.”

Allstate Texas has established a Mobile Assessment Center to process auto claims for customers. Adjustors are being sent out to inspect cars that aren’t drivable, said Roberto DeLeon, Allstate Texas corporate relations manager.

USAA spokesman Rich Johnson said the company doesn’t know how long claims will continue to roll in from customers. “There’s been a drop off the last couple of days. We have field locations where people are driving in, and we are getting adjustors out to people,” he said.

The insurer, which caters to the military and their families, will be using drones to inspect San Antonio homes for hail damage Friday.
“We believe UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) can help us serve members after a catastrophe — faster information about damage,” spokesman Roger Wildermuth said in an email. The company already has been doing testing in more rural locations.

Uninsured loses from homeowners and vehicle owners without coverage also were expected to be high, the trade association said. The insured loss estimates were taken from company-projected losses.

The damage won’t immediately translate into higher insurance premiums for San Antonians, said Mark Hanna, spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas.

“If you look at San Antonio’s history, you’ve been fortunate,” Hanna said. “Insurance companies will look back in a five-to-10-year period, and they will look ahead, as well. They look at a long period to spread the losses over time. No one city would be hit by one event.”

Last week’s storm and its baseball-size hail that shuttered some local businesses and pummeled cars throughout the region has produced $1.36 billion in estimated insured losses so far, making it the costliest hailstorm by dollars in Texas history, according to the Insurance Council of Texas.
San Antonio-based insurance giant USAA processed 16,500 property and 28,000 auto claims from the storm as of midday Wednesday. Losses among all insurers to automobiles in San Antonio are expected to reach $560 million, while damage to homes is expected to approach $800 million, the insurance trade group said. More than 110,000 vehicles were damaged, and thousands of homes suffered roof damage.

The violent storm rained jagged ice chunks that were as large as 4½ inches in diameter for up to 10 minutes in some areas. The state’s most expensive hailstorm was previously claimed by Fort Worth for a 1995 storm that produced an estimated $1.1 billion in damage.

Forth Worth still holds that title if adjusting for inflation. Damage from that storm would have cost $1.6 billion in today’s dollars, the Insurance Council of Texas reported Wednesday.

The most expensive weather event in Texas history was Hurricane Ike in 2008, which produced $13.04 billion in damage.

The hailstorm left a trail of damage across the northern San Antonio, mainly along a path between suburbs Helotes and Kirby. Cars were totaled across the region, including hundreds of luxury vehicles at BMW of San Antonio. The storm sent hail chunks and rain through roofs and skylights in homes, at North Star Mall and at least one H-E-B supermarket.
“There is some vehicle damage we have not seen before,” said Roberto DeLeon, Allstate Texas corporate relations manager. “There are window holes that we normally do not see. The amount and severity of the dents, we haven’t seen in very many cases. Houses have blown windows and other significant damage.”

Allstate Texas has established a Mobile Assessment Center to process auto claims for customers. Adjustors are being sent out to inspect cars that aren’t drivable, said Roberto DeLeon, Allstate Texas corporate relations manager.

USAA spokesman Rich Johnson said the company doesn’t know how long claims will continue to roll in from customers. “There’s been a drop off the last couple of days. We have field locations where people are driving in, and we are getting adjustors out to people,” he said.

The insurer, which caters to the military and their families, will be using drones to inspect San Antonio homes for hail damage Friday.
“We believe UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) can help us serve members after a catastrophe — faster information about damage,” spokesman Roger Wildermuth said in an email. The company already has been doing testing in more rural locations.

Uninsured loses from homeowners and vehicle owners without coverage also were expected to be high, the trade association said. The insured loss estimates were taken from company-projected losses.

The damage won’t immediately translate into higher insurance premiums for San Antonians, said Mark Hanna, spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas.

“If you look at San Antonio’s history, you’ve been fortunate,” Hanna said. “Insurance companies will look back in a five-to-10-year period, and they will look ahead, as well. They look at a long period to spread the losses over time. No one city would be hit by one event.”

The city suffered lesser hailstorms in 2012 and in 2001, he said.
“It’s not like the Dallas-Fort Worth area that gets pounded year after year,” he said, noting that rates are higher there because it’s a tornado area and in the hail belt. “You don’t have to go far in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to find someone who has had two or three new roofs in the last 15 to 20 years. That’s not the case in San Antonio.”

Randall County in the Panhandle, Bell County in Central Texas and Dallas County in North Texas are the state’s three top stormiest counties, according to a report from Allstate Monday. Tarrant County, which includes Fort Worth, is No. 11. Bexar County is No. 14.

The Allstate rankings are based on the highest frequencies of wind, hail and lightning claims from homeowners between 2011 and 2015.

Insurance companies are active on multiple fronts in Texas this week, especially with the flooding in and around Houston.

Hanna said the Insurance Council of Texas is estimating 30,000 Houston-area automobiles have been totaled or rendered useless because of flooding, coming to about $200 million in total auto damage just from vehicles with comprehensive insurance coverage.

The council has not yet seen numbers for Houston-area homeowner’s claims, Hanna said. Homeowner insurance policies do not cover flood damage, but they cover wind and rain and other related damage.

Homeowners with mortgages on houses in flood zones are required by their mortgage companies to buy the separate flood insurance policies, Hanna explained.
dhendricks@express-news.net

Throughout the month of August, The Texas Tribune will feature 31 ways Texans’ lives will change come Sept. 1, the date most bills passed by the Legislature — including the dramatically reduced budget — take effect. Check out our story calendar here.

Day 17: A flow chart to visualize the new — and complicated — process policyholders with the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association will undergo to claim compensation or dispute coverage if a major storm hits the Texas coast.

WYLIE — A billion-dollar spring in North Texas got even more expensive on Monday as the region once again was in the bullseye for damaging hail.

Icy globes the size of baseballs… even softballs… pelted cars, homes and anything else in their path.

Large hail pounded parts of Wylie on April 11, 2016. (Photo: WFAA)

Wylie, about 10 miles east of Plano, was hit hard by the hail storm. The school district in that city canceled Tuesday classes at all 19 campuses.

District spokesman Ian Halperin told News 8 on Monday that crews are finding broken glass, water damage and evidence of damage to rooftop air conditioning units.

We spoke with the district’s superintendent David Vinson Tuesday morning and took a look at some of the damage. He says the schools must be first and foremost safe.

Wylie schools closed because of hail damage

Vinson said they will look and see what can be fixed and cleaned up on the outside of the schools, with windows being the main concern. Many were shattered in the storm.

Crews will also look at mechanical issues like the schools’ air conditioning and electrical systems.

“It’s gonna be a long day,” Vinson said

Halperin said the “safest course of action” was to close the schools so that exhaustive inspections can be made during daylight and any needed repairs can begin.

Countless cars were damaged by the falling ice, and many homeowners reported broken windows and even hail stones penetrating rooftops.

Adrian Correa’s wife and eight-month-old daughter were in the family car as it was pelted with hail in Wylie on April 11, 2016. (Photo: WFAA)

“The back window was just completely shattered through. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through,” said Sara Correa, who had her eight-month-old girl Addison in the backseat when the hail started falling.

“She’s getting pelted with hail and glass, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” husband Adrian Correa said.

Addison suffered some scrapes, but was mostly startled. The family took her to the emergency room just in case.

The family was able to move the car into a parking lot with several other damaged vehicles.

Motorist Tanner Kasper used his jacket as a shield against flying glass as large hail pelted his car in Wylie on April 11, 2016. (Photo: WFAA)

Other cars were stranded on the road. Drivers were left to sit in their cars and wait out the hailstorm, which lasted several minutes. One mom said it was the scariest moment of her life.

Tanner Kasper was in his truck when the sky opened up. “I just grabbed my jacket and threw it over my head,” he said, using it as a shield against flying glass.Parts of Montague County near the Oklahoma border were also hard hit by Monday’s storms.

Hail damaged at least a dozen homes in the small community of Sunset, between Fort Worth and Wichita Falls, tearing through siding and breaking windows.

Repairs underway after hailstorm

Vehicles along Highway 287 were also hammered. Police reported that the hail caused at least six accidents, including one that resulted in injuries.

Wylie residents and property owners arose Tuesday morning to survey the damage of a hail storm that pounded town with stones up to softball size.

The storm hit about 6:15 p.m. Monday, leaving broken windows and leaking roofs in its wake.

“We made over 200 responses. There were some minor injuries and just a lot of damage,” Wylie Fire Rescue Chief Brent Parker said. “We had agencies from all across the metroplex helping us make those calls.”

Parker reported that the Public Safety Building sustained “tremendous” damage. Police Det. Nuria Arroyo said that ceilings collapsed throughout the building and that the department will move part of its operations to City Hall until repairs can be made.

Wylie Independent School District cancelled classes for Tuesday as damage was assessed and temporary repairs were made.

Oncor Electric crews were in town early Tuesday restoring power to several areas and Texas Department of Transportation workers were repairing some signal light functions.

“Hail was coming through the roof and into the living areas,” Anthony Alvizo, 1016 Foxwood, said. “You wouldn’t believe how loud it was.”

Hailstones that pummeled a wide area of Wylie were traveling in excess of 106 miles per hour. The National Severe Storms Laboratory calculates that a stone 3.15 inches in diameter weighs 1.54 pounds and reaches a velocity of 106 mph. Hail that hit Wylie was bigger and was moving faster.

Alvizo reported that 18 solar energy panels on the roof of his house were destroyed, and said that his next door neighbor lost 71 solar panels. On the bright side, the homeowner said the solar panels saved the master bedroom below. Upstairs rooms of the house were all damaged.

“Water was all over the place,” Alvizo said. “It was running down the walls.

In some neighborhoods Tuesday, it was difficult to drive down streets because of congestion created by repair crew trucks. Roofing crews and home repair contractors descended on Wylie at first light.

New Wylie residents Justin and Jacqueline Grayczyk got an early taste of Texas weather after moving here about four months ago from Chicago, Ill.

“We did not expect this to be Texas weather,” Jacqueline said. “Chicago is looking a lot better, but I still love it here.”

The couple was at Home Depot, as were hundreds of other people, Wednesday morning to load up on plywood, lumber and other needed repair materials. Four windows of their house were knocked out and they counted 30 holes in the roof.

North Texas Roofing Contractors Association warns property owners to beware of scams in the wake of the devastating storm. For information on how to select a roofing contractor, go to www.ntrca.com.

Once again, North Texas was pounded by damaging hail as spring storms rumbled across the region early Monday evening.

Quarter-sized to softball-sized hail was reported as the storm moved southeast from Montague County and into Collin and Rockwall counties, said meteorologist Lamont Bain with the National Weather Service.

The weather service classifies softball-sized hail as 4.5 inches.

Grayson Singleton, 14, is watched by his brother Benjamin singleton, 13, as he vacuums broken glass from the hail-shattered window of his father’s car in Wylie, Texas Monday, April 11, 2016. (John Zak/The Dallas Morning News)
Grayson Singleton, 14, is watched by his brother Benjamin singleton, 13, as he vacuums broken glass from the hail-shattered window of his father’s car in Wylie on Monday. (John Zak/The Dallas Morning News)
Wylie damage

Wylie was among the hardest-hit areas Monday with reports of 4.25-inch hail, the weather service reported.

Tuesday classes have been canceled for all Wylie ISD schools.

“Due to the significant storm damage [the district] will not be able to provide a safe learning environment for all students,” the district said in a Facebook post.

The number of storm damage calls to Wylie 911 overwhelmed the system, and the Wylie office of emergency management tweeted: “Please call only if there is a life-threatening emergency. Please b patient.”

Wylie residents Elizabeth Cummings, 45, and her husband were at their home on Teakwood Drive when tennis ball-sized hail flew through their front windows.

Storm damage at a home on Teakwood Drive in Wylie. (Cheryl R. Poldrugach/Twitter)
Storm damage at a home on Teakwood Drive in Wylie. (Courtesy/Cheryl R. Poldrugach)
“It sounded like someone threw baseball bats through the windows,” Cummings said. “Everything started busting and cracking.”

All the windows on the front of their two-story brick home were destroyed, she said.

Cummings said her home had been damaged by storms last month, and an insurance adjuster had inspected the roof for damage last week. She said he had lined up Matt Poldrugach from Regency Roofing and Construction to make the minor repairs.

But when Monday’s hail stopped, Cummings knew she would need more than minor repairs. She said she was in tears as she called Poldrugach for help.

The roofer and his wife, Cheryl, grabbed a case of water, a box of nails and all the roofing supplies they had at their home in north Carrollton and rushed to help in Wylie.

Cheryl Poldrugach said the 15-person roofing crew planned to stay until all the windows at the Cummings’ and their neighbors’ homes had been covered with tarps.

Beyond a few cuts from stray pieces of glass, no one was injured at her home, Cummings said. But glass is littered throughout the house and buried in some furniture.

“There’s nowhere you can walk without shoes,” Cummings said.

The family pitched a 10-person tent in their living room, where they planned to sleep Monday night. Though one bedroom was left untouched by the storm, the Cummingses said they wanted to to be close for the night.

The purple logos are reports of hail across the northern portion of Dallas-Fort Worth. (National Weather Service)
The purple logos are reports of hail across the northern portion of Dallas-Fort Worth. (National Weather Service)Damage reports

Warnings were issued in southern Collin, northeastern Dallas, Rockwall, northern Kaufman and southern Hunt counties. Wind gusts of up to 60 mph were recorded, and Bain said there was a lot of wind-driven hail that caused hail to go horizontally into windows.

On social media, North Texans shared images of damage from the intense wind in areas including Richardson and Frisco.

Though no tornadoes have been reported, the storms prompted sirens to go off, and residents in some areas, including near Lake Tawakoni, were urged to take shelter.

There were reports of 3- and 4-inch hail in Rockwall, and baseball-sized hail in Denton, Collin, Montague and Wise counties.

The Wise County sheriff’s office reported several hail-related injuries along U.S. Highway 287 and County Road 2798. The sheriff’s office said tennis ball-sized hail hit vehicles, and two people were transported to local hospitals for injuries, KXAS-TV (NBC5) reported.

A destroyed trampouline is seen in Wylie, Texas after a storm produced hail, some as big as baseballs, in the area late Monday afternoon, April 11, 2016. (John Zak/The Dallas Morning News)
A destroyed trampoline is seen in Wylie after a storm produced hail, some as big as baseballs, in the area late Monday afternoon. The trampoline was in the backyard of the home at left and flew over the house and landed in the lot next door. (John Zak/The Dallas Morning News)
At 4:37 p.m., the National Weather Service reported, golf ball-sized hail blew out windows near Sunset in Montague County, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Delays, outages

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was experiencing departure delays of 15 to 30 minutes as of 8:50 p.m. because of the storms, according to FlightAware.

Oncor reported dozens of power outages across the region that affected more than 10,000 people.

Forecast

Wet weather could return Tuesday evening. The clouds will start to dissipate Wednesday, and the end of the week should be sunny and warm, with highs in the 70s through Friday.
Lows for the week are expected in the mid-50s.

Stormy spring

Back-to-back hail storms pounded North Texas in March, piling up a total of $1.1 billion in estimated losses in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Last month, nine tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office in its 46-county region, which includes Dallas, Collin and Rockwall counties. The March average is three.